Fifth-wheel for vehicles.



S. CRAIG.

FIFTH WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1911.

993,035. Patented May 23, 1911.

L "A m w w 50 awe/Mica SANDERS CRAIG, 0F EAGLE STATION, KENTUCKY.

FIFTH-WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 9, 1911.

Patented May 23, 1911.

Serial No. 613,273.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, SANDERS CRAIG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eagle Station, in the county of Carroll and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFifth-lVheels for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates tocertain new and useful improvements in fifthwheels for vehicles of that character shown and described in Patent#961,844.- issued to me June 21st, 1910, the present invention havingfor its object the provision of means whereby a very rigid mounting forthe fifth wheel upon the vehicle axle is secured.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved meansfor mounting the fifth wheel upon the axle and sand board whereby it maybe easily and quickly applied or removed.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel feature of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of avehicle axle showing my improved fifth wheel mounting applied thereto;Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the attaching yoke.

Referring more particularly to the drawing 5 indicates the sand boardwhich is arranged beneath the body of the vehicle. The vehicle axle 6 isdisposed beneath the sand board and extends beyond the opposite endsthereof. The vehicle wheels are mounted upon the ends of the axle in theusual manner. To the sand board 5 the arms 7 are secured and projectforwardly and rearwardly thereof and move upon the under surface of thefifth wheel as will readily appear from an inspection of the drawing.

The fifth wheel proper consists of a semicircular bar 8 which isdisposed upon and secured to the ends of a head block 9.

To one side of the sand board at its center a vertically disposed sleeve11 is rigidly secured. Through this sleeve the king bolt 12 is disposed.The upper end of this bolt has an eye 13 formed thereon for arrangementbetween the ears 14: formed on the head block, a pin 15 extendingthrough said eye and the cars.

A yoke bar 16 is arranged upon the axle bar and sand board, the ends ofsaid yoke bar extending rearwardly and having cylindrical bosses 17formed thereon which are provided with openings through which the kingbolt 12 is disposed. The sleeve 11 is provided with. oppositelyextending cars 18, and the intermediate portion of the yoke bar 16 hasformed thereon similar cars 19. Bolts 20 are disposed through the sandboard and through said ears of the sleeve and yoke, suitable nuts 21being threaded on the rearward ends of said bolts to rigidly secure theyoke and sleeve-to the board. The intermediate portion of the yoke hasalso formed thereon a spur 22 which is adapted to be received in anindentation or socket 23 in the front face of the axle bar. This spureffectually prevents all liability of longitudinal movement of the yokebar in the event that the bolts 20 should become loose. In this mannerthe tendency of the fifth wheel to shift transversely beneath the bodyof the vehicle is overcome and said wheel is at all times rigidlyretained in position on the axle. The head block is also supported fromthe running gear of the vehicle by means of the arms 24 which are formedupon the attaching bars 25 which are secured to the running gear. Thestrengthening bars 26 are also arranged upon the under sides of theattaching bars and are connected to the lower end of the king bolt inthe manner set forth in my prior patent. The construction of the wheelitself is sub stantially the same as that disclosed in my former patent,the invention in the present application residing solely in the mannerof attaching and supporting the wheel structure upon the vehicle axle. v

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and operation ofmy improved mounting for fifth wheels will be readily understood.

The device is simple, extremely durable and inexpensive in constructionand may be easily and quickly applied to or removed from the vehicleaxle.

While I have shown and described the preferred construction andarrangement of the invention, it will be understood that various minorchanges in the form, proportion and details thereof may be resorted towithout departing from the essential feature or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a device ofthe character described, the combination with a sand board and vehicleaxle, of a fifth wheel disposed upon said sand board, a sleevevertically arranged upon: one side of the sand board and axle and havinglaterally extending ears disposed upon the face of the sand board, ayoke bar embracing the sand board and axle and having its ends disposedupon the ends of the sleeve and provided with openings alining with thebore of the sleeve, the intermediate portion of said yoke bar havingears formed thereon disposed upon the opposite face of the sand board tothe ears on the sleeve, a king bolt connected to the fifth wheelextending through the ends of the yoke bar and through the sleeve, andfastening bolts transversely disposed through the sand board and theears of said yoke bar and sleeve to rigidly secure the same to theboard.

2. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a sand board and vehicle axle, of a fifth wheeldisposed upon said sand board, a sleeve disposed upon one side of thesand board and axle and having ears formed thereon, a yoke bar embracingthe sand board and axle having a cylindrical enlargement formed on eachof its ends provided with an opening alining with the bore of thesleeve, the intermediate portion of the yoke bar having ears formedthereon disposed upon the opposite side of the sand board to the ears onthesleeve, said intermediate portion of the yoke bar also having a spurformed thereon adapted to be seated in a socket formed in the vehicleaxle, a king bolt connected to the fifth Wheel extending through theends of the yoke bar and through said sleeve, and fastening boltstransversely disposed through the sand.

board and through the ears of the sleeve and yoke bar to rigidly securethe same thereon. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

SANDERS CRAIG. Vitnesses Gno. S. LIVINGSTON, L. G. ELLIS.

Copies of this patent mav be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

